Driving training simulators are well known. Such simulators often included controls that simulate the target vehicle (e.g. car, truck, bus, etc). It is known that such simulators improve skills and safety by familiarizing the trainee with operation of the vehicle by presenting simulated situations in which, making the wrong decision does not result in a potential accident or bodily harm. In this way, the trainee learns basic driving skills before they eventually need to perform using the actual target vehicle and before they have to perform using that vehicle while operating in traffic.
There are many types of simulators known. The simplest simulator is a typical driving video game having a display screen and a hand controller. In some systems, a simulated steering wheel is provided. A mock-vehicle is displayed on the display screen and the driver uses the hand controller to keep the mock-vehicle on a simulated, moving roadway on the display screen. This type of simulator helps build driver hand and eye coordination, but does not provide the true control operation of the real steering wheel, brake, clutch, shifter, windshield views and mirror views. Such simulators are more of a game than an actual driver training system.
Another type of simulator includes a video display screen to simulate a windshield view, a steering wheel, a gas pedal, a brake pedal, a shifter and, optionally, a clutch pedal. A road situation is displayed on the display screen and the driver uses the controls to drive the simulated vehicle, moving down a roadway that is displayed on the display screen. This type of simulator helps build driver skills, but does not include interaction with speedometers, tachometers, etc. Such simulators don't provide feedback from the shifter such as gear grinding when the clutch isn't operated correctly. Furthermore, such simulators have a fixed configuration relating to a single type/layout of vehicle. In some such simulators, certain gauges are provided to simulate the operation and information provided to a driver of this singular vehicle. All current simulators provide fixed scenarios to the trainee and evaluate the trainee responses in a fixed program, progressing from scenario to scenario in a linear progress.
None of the current driver training simulators provide training simulations that automatically adapt to the skills of the trainee. None of the current driver training simulators provide realistic shifting experience in which clutch/shifter coordination is required and tactile/audible feedback is provided when not operated correctly. None of the current driver training simulators provide configurable, interactive instrument clusters that react to touch of the trainee while adapting to the layout of any of many target vehicles.
There are many circumstances in which a trainee (e.g. driver) needs to reposition their head to better see different aspects of what is behind or next to the simulated vehicle. For example, when changing lanes, the trainee needs to change their angle with respect to the rear view mirror to see what is in the adjacent lane and while backing up, the trainee needs to change their angle with respect to the rear view mirror to see objects that are near the rear of the vehicle or the vehicle's tires. None of the current driver training simulators provide realistic rear view mirrors that adjust their image based upon the position and location of the trainee's head and eyes.
For example, Class 8 truck drivers have a peculiar and critical need to use rear view mirrors for lane-changing, passing, and multi-lane traffic; to determine the relative position of the back of the trailer when backing; to determine lane position of both tractor and trailer in any maneuver; to determine the trailer's rear tire positions at all times; and for navigation at rest stops and parking.
Existing simulators do not provide dynamic rear view mirrors (displays or portions of displays). In such, static mirrors present an image of what the driver sees from a fixed perspective, but does not mimic the actual operation of rear view mirrors, in that, as the trainee repositions their head, the image in the simulated rear view mirror remains static and does not adjust to the change in angle of the trainee's eyes or the distance from the trainee's eyes to the rear view mirrors. With prior training systems, images in rear view mirrors are updated to reflect forward or rearward motion of the simulated vehicle, but do not change based upon the trainee's head position. For many operations, it is critical that the trainee learn to move his or her head correctly relative to the rear view mirrors in order to see and understand the dynamic conditions that are occurring at the rear of the vehicle.
What is needed is a driver training system with simulated rear view mirrors that change images/views to correlate with the position and location of the trainee's head.